How to Sync a Laptop & a Desktop

Syncing your computers

With the large amounts of data that can be amassed on desktop and laptop computers, the idea of syncing the two devices to consolidate all of the information is an attractive idea. The good news is that now this can actually be done. Unfortunately computers aren't designed to sync simply by connecting a single cable; a wireless Internet connection is needed in both computers. But if you have the wireless internet connection, the process of hooking up your two computers is a relatively straightforward process that shouldn't take up any more than a few minutes of your time; here's how to do it.

Things You'll Need

• Wireless internet connection on both computers
• Ethernet crossover cable

Instructions

1. Turn on both of your computers and plug one end of the Ethernet crossover cable into the USB port on one computer and attach the remaining end to the other computer. An Ethernet cable can be purchased from any electronics store.

2. Perform the following steps on both computers: Click on the "Start" tab in the bottom-left corner of the main menu screen of your computer. Then select "Network" from the list of options that appear in the drop-down menu. Then click on "Properties." The "Network and Sharing" window will appear.

3. Highlight and select "Manage network connections" from the list of options on the left side of the window. The "Network Connections" window will appear. From here we will configure the same IP address for both computers.

4. Right-click on the Local Area Connection (LAN) tab located in the top-left corner of the window. Then select "Properties" from the list of options in the drop-down menu.

5. Select "Internet Protocol V.4" from the list of options and then click the "Properties" tab to confirm. Make sure both computers are set to this same address, otherwise they won't sync.

6. Look at the monitors on both computers to verify that they are connected via wireless Internet. Your laptop and desktop computers are now synced.

References

• Home-Network-Help: Connect Two Computers Directly
• Tom's Hardware: How to Connect Laptop to Desktop PC
• Sharpened: How can I connect my Laptop to my Desktop?